NCJ Number
136309
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1992) Pages: 17-30
Date Published
1992
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article discusses displacement of drug markets, which refers to the phenomenon of drug markets adapting to enforcement measures rather than being eliminated by them.
Abstract
This analysis of drug market displacement does not provide empirical evidence of the extent or nature of such displacement, but it does discuss measures of displacement. It distinguishes between two types of data that can be collected on displacement: market-level data and individual offender data. Two conceptual measures discussed are the change in the quantity of interest in the target area caused by the intervention and the corresponding change in the quantity of interest in the region within which displacement is possible. The article argues that the displacement is not just a matter of dealers switching market locations. It can also involve changes in mode of dealing and changes in the form of physical displacement. Displacement is a continuous, not a binary, variable that involves the level or degree of displacement. The article concludes that drug law enforcement interventions can produce benefits even if there is complete displacement; e.g., the targeting of violent dealers may reduce drug-related violence even if the volume of actual drug dealing remains the same. 23 notes and 22 references